The present invention relates generally to lights for exterior rearview mirrors of vehicles and, more particularly, to an illumination device which may be easily installed to the rearview mirror assembly.
It is known to install lights on or within exterior rearview mirror assemblies of vehicles. The lights may be turn signals, brake lamps, security lighting systems or the like. Typically, such lights require access to the illumination source (such as incandescent bulbs or the like) for ease of service and also require that detachable electrical connection be made to the vehicle electric. An example of a prior art incandescent bulb holder is shown in FIG. 1.
The prior art bulb holder 2 comprises a mounting portion 3, which typically receives or mounts a bulb 7, such as an incandescent bulb, a fluorescent bulb, or the like. One or more wires 4 extend from electrical terminals within mounting portion 3 and outwardly therefrom. Wires 4 typically individually terminate in individual connectors 5 (although they may terminate in a connector block or multi-pin connector). For example, the wires 4 may be twisted or pig-tailed together with a single pin connector 5 at the end of each wire, as shown in FIG. 1. The single pin connectors 5 are individually connected to a vehicle wiring or mirror wire harness 6 to provide electrical power or control to the lights from the vehicle interior. The individual wires and/or connectors extending from the bulb holder can add cost and assembly complications in manufacture, since the wires must be soldered, clamped or otherwise secured to bulb terminals or contacts within the bulb holders. Furthermore, the point of entry/exit of wires 4 into bulb holder 3 can be routes of water, dirt, and/or contaminant or the like ingress, potentially leading to part deterioration.
The present invention is intended to provide an illumination device which is easily and economically connectable to the vehicle electrics when mounted to a portion of an exterior rearview mirror of a vehicle. The illumination device of the present invention is low cost and facilitates easy installation of the illumination device to the mirror and further facilitates easy electrical connection of the vehicle wiring to the illumination device.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an illumination device is mountable to an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle. The illumination device comprises a pair of metallic or otherwise conductive first terminals for engaging a corresponding pair of metallic or otherwise conductive portions of an illumination bulb, and a pair of second terminals electrically, each of which is connected to a corresponding one of the first bulb terminals. The vehicle wiring directly connects to the second terminals to provide electrical power to the illumination bulb. An insulating housing is provided that at least partially encases the first and second terminals. The housing is preferably detachably mountable to the illumination device or module of the exterior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle. Alternatively, the illumination device or module can consist of a unitary module comprising a bulb, reflector and lens in a single unitary sealed body, which is disposable should the bulb fail. Preferably, each of the connected first and second terminals are integrally formed from an electrically conductive material, such as by a metal stamping or the like. Preferably, the housing is integrally molded from an at least substantially insulating polymeric material, as is known in the molding art, with the integrally formed first and second terminals to provide an integrally molded bulb and socket module. Because the housing is integrally molded around two or more first and second terminals, the housing separates and electrically insulates each metal stamping from the other stampings. Furthermore, the integral molding of the housing protects the stampings from water, dirt or other contaminants and provides a substantially water impervious bulb and socket module.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprises a mirror housing, a reflective element housed within the mirror housing, a mounting portion which is mountable to the vehicle, and at least one illumination device. The illumination device comprises a bulb holder, which comprises at least two first bulb terminals for connecting to corresponding terminals on an illumination source or bulb, at least two second terminals connectable to a vehicle wiring, and a terminal housing. Preferably, the first and second terminals are integrally formed from an electrically conductive material. The terminal housing is molded around the first and second terminals and is mountable to the illumination device. Preferably, the terminal housing is injection molded around the first and second terminals.
Preferably, the bulb holder is formed by placing two metal stampings into a mold, one end of each stamping being the first terminal and the other end of that same stamping being the second terminal. After placing the stampings in the mold, a molding material is injected that flows within the mold to form the bulb holder/insulating housing. Upon removal from the mold, the individual stampings are located and electrically insulated so as to appropriately receive the illumination bulb at one end and directly connect to the vehicle electrics at the other. Preferably, a non-conducting, substantially insulating polymeric material is used, most preferably, one that has a Shore A durometer hardness of between approximately 50 Shore A and 105 Shore A so as to form a self-gasketing, substantially water impervious joint to the frame of the illumination device when the bulb holder is attached thereto.
In one form, the illumination device is mounted on the mirror housing. In another form, the illumination device is mounted on the mounting portion of the mirror assembly. Optionally, one or more illumination devices may be mounted at the mirror housing, the mirror mounting portion, and/or a separate illumination device housing attached to the mirror assembly.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.